Jan Adkins was raised in West Virginia and Ohio, around Wheeling. He attended Ohio State University for more than eight years, flunking out several times. At first he studied architecture. In this second phase of his long university career he studied literature and creative writing. He has served as an art director for National Geographic Magazine, has written for Smithsonian magazine, Cricket and Muse magazines, Harper’s, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, Sail, WoodenBoat, Maine Boats Homes & Harbors, and others. He also works on museum exhibits.

Meryl Henderson is a graduate of Syracuse University. In 1974, she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of fine arts degree. For over forty years, she has been working as a freelance illustrator, specializing in artwork for children. She has illustrated more than a hundred books and has contributed illustrations to countless magazines and educational books. She currently lives in Catskill, New York.